A blog about my experience with the Community Stewardship Program at the Beechwood Wetland site (and the surrounding area) along the Don River in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There will be pictures, anecdotes and garlic mustard galore.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Black locust tree. They're everywhere.

Some days I look around Beechwood and think, "Gee, this section is looking really good!" Other days, like today, I think, "My god, I had no idea there was so much tansy [or garlic mustard, or knotweed, or dog-strangling vine]. I'll never make a dent in it." Then I just get back to work. I'm continuing with the tansy slaughter, with an occasional thistle or stand of knotweed for variety.

This morning, like most mornings, I was joined by orioles, robins, a kingfisher, song sparrows, and what I think are yellow warblers. There are goldfinches as well, but I think what I've been seeing lately are warblers, and they appear to be all yellow. They perch in a tree and chirp until I find them with my camera, and the moment I press the button they fly off. I'll keep trying.

A pair of catbirds prepare to duel:

Tall buttercup:

(You can't tell from that picture, but it is indeed quite tall.)

The beautiful but unwelcome Dame's Rocket, with a little dog-strangling vine poking its nose in. It's like that annoying kid who always puts up two fingers behind someone's head and ruins the family photo:

(The DSV is the small brownish-purple star-shaped flower. We'll be seeing more of it later, but for now I'm all tansy, all the time.)

I found half a robin's eggshell on my way home:

Near the top of Pottery Road someone has cut back small sections of DSV beside the path. This section had a neatly tied bundle of the stuff; someone's a much tidier steward than I am!

Here's a little video of yesterday's egret catching something to eat in the pond: